Douay Rheims Original ↷
1 Kings 3 📜 📕 ↷
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom
1 THE kingdom therefore was established in the hand of Salomon, and he was joined in affinity to Pharao the king of AEgypt: for he took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he accomplished building his own house, and the house of our Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.📜💬📚
2 But yet the people immolated in the excelses: for there was no temple built to the name of our Lord until that day.📜💬📚
3 And Salomon loved our Lord, walking in the precepts of David his father, saving that he immolated in the excelses, and burnt incense.📜💬📚
4 He went therefore into Gabaon, to immolate there: for that was a very great excelse: a thousand hosts for holocaust did Salomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.📜💬📚
5 And our Lord appeared to Salomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I may give it thee.📜💬📚
6 And Salomon said: Thou hast done great mercy with thy servant David my father, even as he walked in thy sight in truth, and justice, and a right heart with thee: for thou hast kept thy great mercy, and hast given him a son sitting upon his throne, as it is this day.📜💬📚
7 And now Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David my father, but I am a little child, and ignorant of my going out and coming in.📜💬📚
8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people, which thou hast chosen, a people infinite, which can not be numbered and counted for the multitude.📜💬📚
9 Thou shalt therefore give to thy servant a docible heart, that he may judge the people, and discern between good & evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, this thy people great in number?📜💬📚
10 The word therefore was liked before our Lord, that Salomon had asked such a thing.📜💬📚
11 And our Lord said to Salomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not desired for thy self many days, nor riches, nor the lives of thine enemies, but hast desired wisdom for thy self to discern judgment:📜💬📚
12 behold I have done unto thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise heart and intelligent, in so much that none before thee hath been like thee, nor shall arise after thee.📜💬📚
13 Yea and these things, which thou didst not ask, I have given thee; to wit, riches, and glory, so that none hath been like thee among the kings all days heretofore.📜💬📚
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my precepts, & my commandments, as thy father walked, I will make thy days long.📜💬📚
15 Therefore Salomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of covenant of our Lord, and offered holocausts, and made pacific victims, and a great feast to all his servants.📜💬📚
Solomon Judges Wisely
16 Then came there two women harlots, to the king, and stood before him:📜💬📚
17 of the which one said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child beside her in the chamber.📜💬📚
18 And the third day, after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, except we two.📜💬📚
19 And this woman's child died in the night. For sleeping she oppressed him.📜💬📚
20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from the side of me, thy handmaid being asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and her child that was dead, she put in my bosom.📜💬📚
21 And when I was risen in the morning to give my child milk, he appeared dead: whom more diligently beholding when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bare.📜💬📚
22 And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayst, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth. On the contrary part she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king.📜💬📚
23 Then said the king: This woman saith: My child liveth, and thy child is dead. And this hath answered, No, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.📜💬📚
24 The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,📜💬📚
25 Divide, quoth he, the living child into two parts, and give the half part to one, and half to the other.📜💬📚
26 But the woman, whose child was alive, said to the king (for her bowels were moved upon her child) I beseech thee my lord, give her the child alive, and kill it not. On the contrary part she said: be it neither mine, nor thine, but let it be divided.📜💬📚
27 The king answered, and said: Give unto this woman the infant alive, and let it not be killed, for this is the mother thereof.📜💬📚
28 All Israel therefore heard the judgment that the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing the wisdom of God to be in him to do judgment.📜💬📚
Copyright © 2024 by Narrow Gate Bible Productions. All Rights Reserved.
